Soccer Shorts: We understand Hogg accepting Ashford's offer - Sittingbourne

Tonight www.kentishfootball.co.uk brings you news snippets from Sittingbourne, Folkestone Invicta, Maidstone United, Whitstable Town, Erith & Belvedere, Thamesmead Town and Tunbridge Wells.

Gary Abbott, the manager of in-form Sittingbourne, has signed striker Stephen Goddard from AFC Wimbledon, but is expected to lose midfielder Anthony Hogg to Steve Lovell, the manager of their Ryman League Division One South rivals Ashford Town next week, and Kieran Marsh, whose going travelling.

Former Brickies boss Lovell has already snapped up Lee Hockey and Mitchell Sherwood from the Bourne Park outfit, and submitted a seven-day approach for Hogg, the former Dover Athletic and Dartford midfielder last week.

A spokesperson at Bourne Park said: “I don’t want Hoggy to go but if he is offered as much money as rumour suggests that I wouldn’t blame him for going.

“How many of you would honestly turn down the chance of receiving at least double what you receive now for a day’s work, even if there was a possibility that it might not last?

“Hoggy came to us from Dartford because he wasn’t getting a regular place in the side and he took a (pay) cut then.

“This season he was told that we couldn’t afford him on the wages that he was on last season and we were delighted that he decided to stay.

“We all want him to stay but at the end of the day he shouldn’t be criticised if he decides to go for better money.

“I don’t blame Steve Lovell for making a move when he did either. He obviously knew that his job at Gillingham was at risk and he wouldn’t have been able to live on what he was being paid at Sittingbourne. He too had taken a substantial cut at the beginning of the season.

“The job at Sittingbourne is after all a part-time job only. At Ashford Steve is now full-time.

“We know have Gary Abbott as manager, someone who is new to the job and full of enthusiasm and who hasn’t fallen into the trap of thinking that it is impossible to attract decent players without a huge budget.”

Another cash-strapped manager, Folkestone Invicta’s Neil Cugley explained why he had to part company with striker Richard Shittu earlier this week.

“Up until now Richard hasn’t been getting paid except for petrol money and we had to talk about wages eventually and his terms were a little bit higher than we were prepared to pay and we didn’t feel he was worth what he wanted,” Cugley told www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk.

“To be fair to Richard he started the first few games well but he hasn’t produced since then.

“We left on good terms though and he lives in London so coming down two or three times a week to Kent isn’t easy when he’s only getting petrol money so I don’t blame him for what he asked.

“It’s always a position that is difficult to get players in and it was always worth giving Richard a chance but we’ll carry on looking and we still want to look to get people in.”

Cugley, whose side travel to the side that ended their FA Cup campaign in the final qualifying round, Billericay Town tomorrow, has confirmed that local attacking midfielder Ben Sly has joined their Kent League neighbours on a one-month loan deal.

“Ben going to Hythe was always a possibility and it’s a better test for him than playing in the reserves and it will do him good,” explained Hythe resident Cugley.

“I want him back though and I want him to become sharper and maybe gain some more confidence.”

And Cugley added: “He is still very much in my plans at Folkestone.”

There was slightly more positive news on the injury front this morning, ahead of Maidstone United’s trip to Boreham Wood in the Ryman Premier League.

However, the big doubt ahead of the game is defender Lee Shearer, who suffered a very bad dead leg during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat to AFC Wimbledon.

There will be late fitness tests for Ben Lewis, Errison Ahwan, Lynden Rowland and Nathan Paul but joint-manager Alan Walker was optimistic they would all be fit and available for selection at Meadow Park.

The only other team changes come with Chris Smalling being away on England Schoolboys duty and James Peacock who completes his two match ban tomorrow.

“Boreham Wood are a side who have had an up and down season like ourselves but with our players now coming back from injury it’s good to be getting back to 100%”, Walker told www.maidstoneunited.co.uk.

“Whilst we’ll still continue to look at personnel who can bring something extra to this club and the additions of Conor Hagan and the fact that we are almost back to full strength means we are now a force to be reckoned with in this league now.”

But Walker who hinted that he was trying to make a couple of signings before tomorrow’s game, has been thwarted in his efforts to strengthen the Stones squad - for the time being.

He revealed: “The striker we are looking to sign has come down with an injury so we’ll have to wait another week or two on that although the deal looks certain to go through.

“The other player we’re looking at has seen circumstances change at his club so won’t be in a position to be loaned out now.”

Frustrated coach Simon Halsey cannot work out why the Whitstable Town side are so inconsistent during their first ever Ryman League Division One South campaign.

The Belmont Road outfit can hold Dover Athletic to a draw at Sea France Crabble Stadium and on home soil lose to Walton Casuals.

“One week they do exactly as we ask, the next it’s like they cross the white line and all that we’ve done in training, all the tactics we wanted taken into the game, go out the window,” he told www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk.

Crocked Erith & Belvedere player Tom Maycock has started to come to terms with the horror cruciate ligament injury he sustained at Lordswood back in October.

“It’s going well though not as good as I would have liked,” he told www.erithandbelvederefc.co.uk.

“Obviously, it’s a long and slow process and it’s going to take time, but generally, I’ve got a bit of movement back in my leg and can put a bit of weight on it, but slowly and surely, it’s getting there.

Reflecting on the day when his world turned upside down, the former Gravesend & Northfleet player, said: “When I first suffered the injury I was taken to Gillingham hospital and underwent keyhole surgery to see what the problem was and I was there from the Tuesday night until Sunday.

“Then I was referred to see a specialist at Chelsea and Westminster two weeks later. I was there from Monday to Friday and had an operation on the Tuesday.

“Unfortunately the specialist said to me that he’s seen a lot of these sorts of injuries before and it could take 18 months, possibly two years before I can play again.”

Maycock admitted to feeling depressed and not wanting to watch his Erith & Belvedere team-mates in action before he made the brave decision to watch last weekend’s 8-1 demolition of Tunbridge Wells at Park View Road.

He said: “It’s been three months now and this is my first time back to watch a match. Basically, you kind of lose the will to be bothered in a way.

“After the injury I couldn’t work either and I was stuck indoors all day.

“I have enjoyed coming back and watching (the Deres last week) because I know I have missed it a lot. But in a lot of ways, it’s just about getting yourself out and motivating yourself enough to come back and watch after the extent of the injury I’ve had.”

And on his future, both on and off the pitch, Maycock, said: “I’m seeing the specialist who carried out the operation (later in the month) and hopefully he can look at my leg and determine how long it can be before I can go back to work.

“It’s not as if I’ve got a desk job, I work on a building site and that’s a bit more strenuous and that’s why I’m not back now.

“It’s down to other people at the moment and I can’t go back to work now and I’m not even sure about the next month or two.

“It’s just whether I can put full weight on my leg really and at the moment I can to an extent but I have to be sure.”

Meanwhile, former Republic of Ireland under 21 international, Adrian Deane has signed for Braintree Town.

Deane will remain eligible to play for Erith & Belvedere on a dual registration with the Blue Square South club.

Former Bromley youth teamer Chris Hill, meanwhile, has signed for the Deres from their Kent League rivals Croydon.

Keith McMahon insists people are wrong to write off his Thamesmead Town side especially as they’re second in the Kent League table - seven points behind VCD Athletic with two games in hand.

McMahon’s men travel to Reachfields Stadium tomorrow to lock horns with a Hythe Town side that’s confirmed their promotion intentions.

He told www.thamesmeadtownfc.co.uk  : “I have seen and heard a lot of negative comments about us over recent weeks, people saying that we are finished and are in free fall.

“I’m not bothered about that as I know that with the current squad I have - and the new addition of Herbinji Grant signed from Greenwich Borough - we are capable of winning this league.

“Let’s look on the positives of this (season). Our league record says that we have drawn two games and only lost two.

“Our goalscoring record is miles better than anyone’s and our defence record is right up there too.

“We are in the quarter-finals of the Kent Senior Trophy and the League Cup, our reserves are top of their league and both our under 18’s sides are right up there in their league - so not bad for a club that’s struggling.

“I don’t think there’s a Kent League side that can get anywhere near that, so that’s why I’m not too bothered about what people are saying and if we repeat our league record of this year, then I think that will be good enough (to win the league).”

One club that are struggling, however, are Tunbridge Wells, but manager Mike Robbins is using his contacts from his former club Ashford Town, where he was reserve team manager, to improve the Culverden Stadium club’s fortunes.

Third from bottom in the Kent League with only three wins and two draws to their name after fourteen games, Tunbridge Wells travel to Beckenham Town tomorrow hoping their new-look side start gelling.

Richard Boorman has this week become yet another former Ashford Town player to sign for the west Kent club.

“Richard plays the game simply and has a bright future ahead of him,” Robbins told www.tunbridgewellsfc.co.uk.

“Richard played for the Gills in midfield or defence and the day that I signed him no less than four other clubs wanted him.”

Boorman joins former Nuts & Bolts players’ Joe Hitchings (whose on loan), Joby Thorogood, Gary Clarke and Barry Gardner at Culverden Stadium, whilst Vince Shell has teamed up with Robbins again as reserve team manager.

Visit club websites:

www.sittingbournefc.co.uk

www.ashfordtownfc.co.uk

www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk

www.maidstoneunited.co.uk

www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk

www.erithandbelvederefc.co.uk

www.thamesmeadtownfc.co.uk

www.tunbridgewellsfc.co.uk